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HOW TO APPLY

The American College of Sofia hires international teachers on a two-year contract. The minimum qualification is a content area major from an accredited college or university. While we prefer teaching experience, we will occasionally hire a person who has outstanding content knowledge and some experience working with youth. More often we hire a person with some teaching experience and/or a teaching credential.

The American College of Sofia typically hires international teachers through search agencies such as Search Associates and at well-known international hiring fairs such as the University of Northern Iowa Fair and fairs that are sponsored by Search Associates. We also accept applications by e-mail. Typically, our list of available teaching positions is finalized early in January. However, we do post positions as they become available.

We try to complete our hiring during the teacher recruiting season in late January and February.

AFTER YOU ARE HIRED

The visa process in Bulgaria is long and complicated and you must begin to collect documents soon after you are hired. Luckily, the international teachers have Tanya Assenova, the registrar at the College, to help us through it. Tanya processes all of our documents, fills out our forms, and takes us to the various governmental offices to make sure we get the right things stamped. With her help and hard work, the long and complicated process is pretty easy for us.

The most important thing to do during the process is to follow Tanya’s instructions and, especially, meet her deadlines. You’ll receive these instructions shortly after the hiring process is completed. One of the most time-consuming parts of the process is simply gathering all of the documents you need, which include birth certificates, marriage certificates (if applicable), diplomas and transcripts from higher educational institutions, and an FBI criminal history check. Once you have these, just follow Tanya’s instructions.

SALARY/BENEFITS

Our salary schedule, while at the low end of the range for western European international schools, goes a long way in Sofia and the Balkans. International teachers receive an excellent international health insurance plan and an adequate life insurance policy. Housing is provided at no cost to teachers. Newly hired teachers begin orientation activities during the third week of August.

TEACHING AT ACS

The American College is the premiere secondary school in Bulgaria and admission is competitive. In the experience of almost all the international teachers, the students here are among the best you are likely to encounter. While there are a handful of foreign nationals among the student body, the vast majority of students are Bulgarian. They enter as 8th graders and spend a year immersed in English study to prepare them for classes in the upper school. At the end of their 8th grade year, students are expected to be prepared for a high school curriculum taught almost exclusively in English. They continue to have ESL support as part of their 9th grade English curriculum, and there is an English Language Center to provide further support to any students who need it.

At the end of their five years at the College, Bulgarian students receive both American and Bulgarian diplomas. (International students follow the IB program.) They are motivated, smart, and work extremely hard to meet the demands of both programs.

A full-time teaching load at the College consists of 21 40-minute periods. This leaves a substantial amount of time during the typical teaching day for planning. In addition to teaching, every teacher serves as an advisor to a small group of students, and there are ample opportunities to engage with students outside of the classroom. As part of their responsibilities, all teachers are expected to serve as faculty sponsors for clubs or CAS activities, or as coaches in the athletic program. There are also ample opportunities for leadership positions (department chair, grade level dean, etc.), which are stipended.

Teachers at the College are expected to engage in professional development, which is supported through book studies, in-service activities, and financial support for individual professional development projects. Departments at the American College are collaborative and collegial, and new teachers can expect robust support from their department chairs. Teachers can also seek support from the Faculty Development Coordinator, a full-time position devoted to the observation, support, and improvement of teachers’ classroom practices.

Review the current Anti-COVID-19 Measures at the American College of Sofia here.